Catherine Walsh paced impatiently outside of the courtroom in the little
town of Hudson, New York wondering which was going to come first; Sam
answering his phone, the court actually being called into session again or
her next birthday. Finally, a minute later, she heard a click on the other
end of the phone and started to speak only to realize that she had reached
Sam's voice mail.

"Sam, it's Catherine," she said. She just hoped he checked his messages
sometime before he left for the airport to pick her up. "I just wanted to
let you know that this court case is taking longer than I thought. I'm still
waiting to give my testimony so I'm not sure when I'll be back. I'll just
catch a cab home from the airport so you won't have to bother coming to get
me." She was about to say more when the baliff appeared at the door. "Got
to go, they're calling us back into court. Bye, Sam."

June 2nd 2:05 pm

The vice-principal poked his head out of his office, thrilled that he had
only one more day of school to survive before the junior high let out for the
summer. Just then he spotted the person he was looking for pushing a bucket
of water down the hall.

"Hey, John!" he called to the young man, motioning for him to leave his
mopping for a moment and come into the office. "Need you to do me a favor.
The superintendent," this name was spoken as if it was poison, "wants a
report on the status of the school this year. Could you run it down to the
courthouse? You can knock off for the day after you drop it off."

"No problem," the young man said as he reached out and took the papers
before heading for the staff parking lot. He would have happily gone any
place he had to to get out of having to clean up what would be left in the
wake of all of those kids once they were released from school for the day.
He sometimes wondered how he had ended up doing this sort of work. He had
always had a vague feeling he was meant for other things. He always pushed
that aside though. He knew he was lucky to have the job he did.

The vice principal shook his head as he watched the janitor pull out of
the parking lot. That boy was a wonder and he sometimes had to wonder why
someone who seemed so clever was working cleaning up after a horde of future
delinquents. Of course, he was riding herd on the same delinquents after a
rather expensive college education so he couldn't really say much. He just
hoped John didn't have a run-in with the superintendent down at the
courthouse. If that man didn't stop with the smart remarks about the boy's
pony-tail, it would be just their luck he would quit and then where would
they be for a janitor?

June 2nd 2:15 pm

John was able to find a parking place in front of the courthouse quickly
for once and hurried towards the building. He looked up as he went, puzzled
by what he was seeing. The clouds were moving one way while the wind was
blowing the trees another. That was wierd. He really hoped they weren't in
for a storm. He would have a ton of tree limbs to pick up in the morning if
they were.

June 2nd 2:16pm

Catherine sat in the courtroom trying not to look as bored as she felt.
Both sides were just sitting there staring into space and the judge looked
like he was about to fall asleep. Didn't it occur to these people that some
of them might have a life that they really needed to get back to? Could
things get any worse? If she ever got out of this state, she swore she
wasn't coming back again. Bad enough that being here just brought back
memories of her last visit, and poor Noah and how they lost him.

Just then a bailiff came into the courtroom and approached the judge,
whispering something that made the man look more alert than Catherine had
seen him during the entire case before turning to face the others in the
courtroom.

"Everyone please remain calm," the bailiff told the people in what he
hoped was a voice that hid his concern, "There's been a tornado warning
issued for this county and we're going to need to move everyone down to the
basement until the warning's lifted. Please don't panic but move quietly out
of the courtroom and to the stairs on the left."

Catherine and most of the people were already moving before the bailiff
finished speaking. Once outside the courtroom, the crowd seemed to divide,
many people rushing to peer out the doors and windows, while others hurried
to alert friends in other parts of the building. Catherine was a bit
disoriented by the people rushing everywhere as she looked around for the
stairs she had been told about. Suddenly she felt herself showed into
someone.

"Are you okay?" John asked as he looked down at the woman. He started
to say something else but his words were suddenly cut off by what sounded
like a cross between the largest freight train in the world and a jet engine,
right outside the building.

June 2nd 2:17 pm

The swirling funnel cloud touched down barely a block from the
courthouse, cutting a swath as it aimed directly at the building. A loud
rattling sound filled the air as it swooped down. Inside the courthouse,
panic reigned as the people at the door saw the funnel cloud approaching.

Catherine was momentarily paralyzed by shock and then suddenly the
twister was there. Things were instantly thrown into chaos as people began
to scream and try to find some sort of cover. She struggled to move, to run,
but the wind inside the building was so strong, every loose object seemed to
be some sort of weapon now, the tornado seizing them and sending them flying
in random directions. The air pressure was so low Catherine gasped, fighting
for air. She forced her head up and was horrified to see bits of the
building being ripped away by the powerful winds. And beyond that... odd,
she thought to herself, as she gazed up into a maelstrom. I never thought
about a tornado being hollow. Sam, I guess I'm gonna be even later than I
thought. She forced herself to close her eyes, to duck her head low,
covering her head with her arms, the only thing she could do now to try to
protect herself as the horrible roaring noise increased, filling her head
until she thought it would explode. She could feel things slamming into her
and suddenly there was something lifting her off of her feet, dragging her up
slightly before sending her flying. She felt herself crashing into
something, a searing pain ripping through her head and stomach as she found
herself falling before she finally felt no more.

June 2nd 2:18 pm

The silence that filled the town was only broken by the light pattering
of rain that was heard once more. Only one thing was different in the town
of Hudson, New York. The courthouse had been demolished.

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